22 SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. [SeR. XIV.
US by the Kedeemer through the covenant of grace : Tit. iii. 5, 6. Our glorious being, whicli is considered either as to soul or body ; as to soul, 'the Spirit is life because of righteousness;' as to body, the words of the text. Well then, the Holy Ghost is the operative love of God, woikiug from the power of the Father, and grace of the Son ; and whatever the Father or Son doth, you must still suppose it to be communicated to us bj'' the Spirit.
[2. J Because the Holy Gliost is vinculum unionis, the bond of union between us and Christ. We are united to him, because we have the same spirit which Christ had ; there is the same spirit in head and members, and therefore he will work like effects in you and him ; if the head rise, the members will follow after : for this mystical body was api)ointed to be conformed to their head, as in obedience and suffering, so in happiness and glory : Rom. viii. 29, ' Predestinated to be con- formed to the image of his Son.' Christ was raised, therefore they shall be raised ; Christ was raised by the Spirit of holiness, so you are raised by the same power of the Holy Ghost. Christ is as tender of his mystical body as of his natural body, therefore will not lose one member or joint of it: John vi. 39, 'I must lose nothing;' and the Spirit doth his office in you, as in him, for you are to be raised up with him, and as he was raised. We feel the power of our resurrection in our regeneration, and we feel the comfort of it in our being raised to glory ; head and members do not rise by a different power. How then, you will say, are the wicked raised by Christ ? They are raised ex officio judic is, but not heneficio media tor is — by him as a judge, not by him as a Redeemer. There will be a resurrection both of the wicked and the godly, the one by the power of Christ as judge, the other by the power of his Spirit as redeemer ; the one are forced to appear, the other go joyfully to meet the bridegroom ; the one, by Christ's power as judge, shall have the sentence of condemnation executed upon them ; the other, by virtue of Christ's life and resurrection, shall enter into the possession of the blessed ; a state of bliss and eternal life, wherein they shall enjoy God and Christ, and the company of saints and angels, and sing hallelujahs for ever.
[3.] Because the Spirit of sanctification worketh in us that grace which giveth us a right and title to this glorious estate ; for by regener- ation we are made children of God, and so children of the resurrection : Luke XX. 35, 36, ' But they which shall be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage ; neither can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.' Being admitted into his family here, we may expect to be admitted into his presence hereafter. And then actu.il holiness, if we live to years of discretion, is necessarily required to a blessed and glorious resuirection : Gal. vi. 8. ' If we sow to the flesh, we shall of our own flesh reap corruption ; but if we sow to the Spirit, we shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.' There is no harvest without sowing ; and as the seed is, so will the harvest be ; they that lavish out their time, and care, and estates, in feeding their own carnal desires, must expect a crop accordingly, which is death and destruction ; but they
VEri. 11.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS Vlir. 23
that obey the Spirit, and sow to righteousness, shall obtain eternal life ; for till the cause of death be taken awa3^ which is sin, we may fear a resurrection, but cannot expect a resurrection to our comfort.
[4.] The Spirit doth not only regenerate and convert us, which giveth us a right, but abideth in us as an earnest : Eph. i. 14, ' We were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession.' Where observe three things. First, How the heirs of promise are distinguished from others ; Secondly, The use of this mark and distinc- tion ; Thirdly, The time how long this abideth with us ; and all this will fully prove the point in hand.
(1.) The mark of all those whom God admitteth into the gospel state. They are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise; that is, secured, set apart, as those that have interest in the new covenant, by that Spirit of holiness which is promised to believers ; for the Spirit is called the promise of the Father ; the renewing and sanctifying work of the Spirit, or the image of Christ impressed upon the soul, is this seal ; and the comfort and joy that floweth thence, is an appendage to it. As the work of sanctification is more and more carried on, and is fruitful in holiness of life ; so we are more and more distinguished as a people set apart to serve, and please, and enjoy the holy and blessed God. Now you that are exercised with so many doubts and scruples about your interest in the promise, would it not be exceeding comfortable to you, if you had your seal and warrant for a secure claim to the privileges of the gospel, by the saving graces of the Spirit, or the impression of the image of Christ upon your hearts ? You may be abundantly satisfied ; for where these saving graces and fruits of holiness are found, your right and interest in the promise of eternal life is clear and manifest ; for this is the mark of the Holy Spirit, and the seed of life eternal.